Method of manufacturing shoes



7 H. KAHLMEYER METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SHOES Filed March 31, 1922 Patented Aug. 31, 19 26.

UNITED STAT 'HENRY KAHLMEYER, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MAGHINERYCORPORATION, OF IPATERSON, NEW JERSEY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SHOES.

Application filed March 31, 1922. Serial No. 548,504.

This invention relates to a method of making shoes, and is herein set forth in connection with the manufacture of a rubber overshoe. i

Hitherto rubber overshoes have been commonly made by two general methods. In one method the shoe is built up piece by piece upon a last. In the other the parts of the upper or the majority of them are put together off the last; and then the upper and an Iinnersole are assembled on a'last, and the lower margin of the upper drawn over the margin of the innersole to shape the shoe. In both methods the completion of the shoe includes the step of subjecting it to vulcanization. method fit the last very closely owing to the fact that the shoe is built up piece by piece upon the last, and each piece, as it is put on, can be conformed to the shape of the last in the locality at which it is applied, but this method of making a' shoe is slow and'laborious. In making shoes by the second method, difficulty is encountered in properly pulling over and lasting the shoe owing to the fact that the upper is much stiffer than the single According to t e present invention an upper, preferably complete, and a bottom member, such as an innersole, are assembled with "the lower margin of the upper attached to the margin ,of the bottom member, and then the shoe thus partly made is subjected to a shaping operation, after which the shoe is subjected to vulcanization to render its shape permanent. In the illustrative embodiment of the inventionthere are prepared A two composite members, an upper member including a fabric lining and a rubber outer, and a bottom member including an innersole having superposed upon it a filler sole. These two members are then assembled to form a partly made shoe after which an expansible last is inserted in the shoe'and expanded to impart to the shoe the desired shape. The. manufacture of the shoe is thereafter completed includin subjecting it to vulcanization, This metho does away to a large-extent with the objectionable features of the two old methods since it involves neither the building u of the shoe upon the last nor the usual pu ling over and lasting of the upper.

Shoes'made by the first ieces of which it is made.

' "Figure 4 is an elevation of the partly made shoe after an expansible last has been in- I serted, and

Figure 5 1s an elevation of the finished shoe after the outer sole has been laid, the shoe vulanized and the last removed.

In Figure 1 is shown a closed or endless upper which has been assembled off the last, said upper comprising among other parts a frictioned fabric lining 7 and a rubber outer 9. The parts of such an upper may have various shapes and may have been put together in various ways, the particular shape of the parts and the particular manner in which they are arranged being'immaterial so far as the broader as ects' of the invention are concerned. In igure 2 is shown a bottom member COIIIPIISIIIO' an 1nnersole 11 and a filler sole 13, the fiiler sole having an outline similar to but smaller than that of the innersole so that the margin of the innersole projects beyond the edge of the filler sole. The upper shown in Figure 1 is so shaped that when it is assembled in proper relation to the innersole, as shown in Figure 3, its lower edge extends over the projecting mar in of the innersole and abuts against the e go of the filler sole.

The two composite members, that shown in Figure 1 and that shown in Figure 2, having been prepared, a coating of cement 15 is placed upon the inner surface of the lower margin of the upper; or if desired, upon the projecting margin of the innersole 11; and then the two members are assembled ibylaying the lower margin of the upper 'over the projecting margin of the inner -This shaping may be accomplished by inserting innit an expansible last and then expanding the last. Figure 4= shows such a jecting the shoe to vulcanization, whereby the shape of the shoe is rendered permanent.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a rubber overshoe, commonly known as a rubber in the manufacture of which a closed upper and a bottom member are assembled off the last, it,

should be understood that the invention is notlimited in the scope'of its application to the particular procedure which has been described.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. The method of manufacturing a vulcanized shoe which comprises assembling an unvulcanized upper and an innersole with the lower margin of the upper extending over and fastened throughout its length to the margin of the innersole, stretching the shoe thus partly assembled. by force applied from the inside thereofto impart to it the desired shape, and thereafter completing the assembly of the shoe and subjecting it to vulcanization while stretched so as to render its shape permanent. I

'2. The method of manufacturing a vulcanized rubber shoe which comprises assembling an unvuleanized upper and an innersole, inserting in the shoe thus partly assembled an expansible last, expanding the last to give shape to the partly assembled shoe and thereafter completing the manufacture of the shoe including laying the outersole and subjecting the shoe to vulcanization'.

3. The method of manufacturing a vulcanized shoe which comprises assembling off the last an unvulcanized upper,an in- I preparing a closed upper including a fabric lining and a rubber outer, preparing a com posite bottom member including an innersole having superposed upon it a filler sole the outline of which is similar to but smaller than that of the innersole, assembling the upper and member in such manner that the lower margin of the outer overlaps the exposed margin of the innersole and its edge abuts that of the fillers sole, inserting in the partly assembled shoe an expansible last, expanding the last to impart to the partly assembled shoe the desired shape, and thereafter completing the manufacture of the shoe including laying the outer sole and subjecting the shoe to vulcanization.

5. The method of manufacturing a val-- canized shoe which comprises assembling an unvulcanized upper and an innersole manently cementing said margins together,

stretching the shoe thus partly assembled by force applied from the inside thereof to impart to it the desired shape, and thereafter completing the manufacture of the shoe including laying the outer sole and subjecting the shoe to vulcanization.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' HENRY KAHLMEYER. 

